Ball and paddle device



Dec. 21, 1965 D. L KLOTZ BALL AND PADDLE DEVICE Filed Aug. 8, 1963 INVENTGR DONALD L.KLOTZ AGENT.

United States Patent O 3,224,774 BALL AND PADDLE DEVICE Donald L. Klotz, Wayne Way, White Plains, NX. Filed Aug. 8, 1963, Ser. No. 300,865 4 Claims. (Cl. 273-97) This invention relates to an amusement device, more particularly, it relates to a ball and paddle device which may be secured to a human torso and which may be manipulated without the use of the participants hands or feet. Although the device is intended primarily for the amusement of the participant, it also provides exercise and develops muscular coordination.

An object of the invention is to provide a new ball and paddle amusement device.

A further object is to provide an amusement device that is easily secured to a human torso and adjustable to conform to the contour of the torso.

A still further object is to provide an amusement device that is relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

The above and other objects are accomplished in accordance with this invention which comprises a support means adapted to be secured to a human torso, a pair of paddles mounted on the support means in spaced relationship and positioned to extend outwardly from the torso, and a ball secured by a flexible element to the support means intermediate the paddles, whereby the ball will be caused to alternately strike the paddles when the torso is rapidly turned from one side to another.

For a better understanding of the present invention, together with other and further objects thereof, reference is made to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, and its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring now to the drawing:

FIG. l is an elevational view of the device secured in operational position to the torso of a human being;

FIG. 2 is a perspective View of the device with the various elements of the device disassembled; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3 3 of FIG. 2.

Referring to the drawing, and particularly to FIG. l, a human torso is shown generally at 1d. A support means illustrated as a belt 11 is secured around the torso 10 and supports paddles 12 and 13. A ball support member 14 is mounted on belt 11 intermediate paddles 12 and 13 and a ball 15 is secured to member 14 by flexible element 16.

Referring to FIG. 2, belt 11 has a standard construction which comprises a flat elongated member 17 which may be constructed of any suitable material. I prefer to use an elastic material so that the belt will have a tight t when secured around torso 10. One end 18 of member 17 is passed through a loop 19 and adjustably secured to the body of member 17 by a clasp 20. The other end 21 of member 17 is passed through loop 22 and adjustably secured to the body of member 17 by clasp 23. Clasps Ztl and 23 provide means for adjusting the length of belt 11 so the belt may be altered to fit any size torso and provide a secure tit around the torso. A buckle 24 is secured to loop 22 and is equipped with a hook 25 which is adapted to pass through loop 19 to secure belt 11 in position.

Paddles 12 and 13 have identical structures, therefore, only paddle 12 will be described in detail. Paddle 12 is constructed of a pair of heavy flexible cardboard sheets 26 and 27. Sheets 26 and 27 are secured together at one end by staples 28 or any other suitable means. Slots 29 and 30 are provided through the unsecured ends of sheets 26 and 27, respectively. Slots 29 and 3i) are of suflicient size to receive belt 11.

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When mounted on belt 11 and secured to torso 10, sheets 26 and 27 must have sufficient flexibility to enable the participant to slide the sheets relative to belt 11 and relative to each other so that paddle 12 will iit the contour of torso 10 (see FIG. l) and provide a rigid striking surface for purposes to be described hereinbelow. Although cardboard has been described as the preferred material for sheets 26 and 27, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that any suitable material having the desired flexibility will be usable with this invention.

Ball support member 14 is shown in FIG. 2 with a face illustrated thereon. This shape and design of ball support member, of course, does not constitute part of my invention but is merely shown to illustrate one of many shapes and desi-gns usable with my invention. Ball support member 14 is constructed of cardboard or any suitable material and has a strap 31 secured to the back surface thereof (see FIG. 3). A slot 32 is formed between member 14 and strap 31 for mounting member 14 on belt 11.

Flexible element 16 is secured at one end to the front surface of member 14 by staple 33 and ball 15 is secured by any suitable means to the other end of flexible element 16. Element 16 and ball 15 are preferably constructed of an elastomeric material such as that used in conventional ball and paddle devices of the prior art.

In the assembly and operation of the device, belt 11 is passed through slots 29 and 31) in paddle 12, slot 32 between member 14 and strap 31, and the slots in paddle 13, to assemble the various elements. Belt 11 is then mounted on torso`10 by wrapping the belt around the torso and hooking buckle 24 inloop 19. The participant must then adjust paddle 12 by spreading the slotted ends of sheets 26 and 27 and sliding them longitudinally of belt 11 so that paddle 12 will thus conform to the contour of torso 1d. Accordingly, paddle 13 is adjusted in a similar manner. Member 1d may be adjusted both longitudinally and transversely of belt 11. It has been found that for effective operation of the device, it is preferable to locate staple 33 above the upper edge of paddles 12 and 13. This can be done by sliding member 14 upwardly so that belt 11 will slide in slot 32. Belt 11 is suciently tight to maintain member 14 in its adjusted position.

With the various parts thus assembled and adjusted relative to belt 11, the participant may cause ball 1S to swing from paddle to paddle, to strike the paddles alternately7 by a rapid turning of the participants torso from one side to another. If an inextensible material is used for element 16, it will be apparent that member 14 will have to be located at the midpoint between paddles 12 and 13 and element 16 must be of sufiicient length to reach from the midpoint to the striking surfaces of the paddles. If, on the other hand, an elastomeric, extensible material is used, the element may be substantially less in length than half the distance between the strikingsurfaces, so long as the element will extend to permit ball 15 to strike the surfaces alternately.

While there has been described what is at present considered to be the preferred embodiment of this invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention, and it is, therefore, aimed to cover all such changes and modifications as falls within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. An amusement device comprising a. support means adapted to be secured to a human torso, a pair of paddles mounted on said support means in spaced relationship and positioned to extend outwardly from said torso, and

a ball secured by a flexible element to said support means intermediate said paddles, whereby said ball will be caused to alternately strike said paddles when said torso is rapidly turned from one side to another.

2. An amusement device comprising a support means adapted to be secured to a human torso, a pair or" paddles mounted on said support means in spaced rleationship and positioned to extend outwardly from said torso, said paddles being adjustable relative to said support and having means for adapting a portion of the paddles to conform to the contour of said torso, and a ball secured by a flexible element to said support means intermediate said paddles, whereby said ball will be caused to alternately strike said paddles when said torso is rapidly turned from one side to another.

3. An amusement device comprising a belt adapted to be secured around a human torso, a pair of paddles adjustably mounted in spaced relationship on said belt and positioned to extend outwardly from said torso, a ball support member on said belt, said member being adjust- 20 able longitudinally and transversely of said belt, and a ball secured by a flexible element to sai-d support member intermediate said paddles, whereby said ball will be caused to alternately strike said paddles when said torso is rapidly turned from one side to another.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein each of said paddles comprises two sheets of flexible material, said sheets being slotted at one end to receive said belt and being secured together at the other end remote from said belt, whereby said slotted ends may be spaced along said belt to conform said paddles to the contour of said torso and to provide rigid paddles.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,753,309 4/1930 Costello 272-80 X 2,269,633 1/1942 Merle 273-97 3,051,482 8/1962 Harpman 272-80 3,178,851 4/1965 Gage 46-51 RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN AMUSEMENT DEVICE COMPRISING A SUPPORT MEANS ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO A HUMAN TORSO, A PAIR OF PADDLES MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT MEANS IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP AND POSITIONED TO EXTEND OUTWARDLY FROM SAID TORSO, AND A BALL SECURED BY A FLEXIBLE ELEMENT TO SAID SUPPORT MEANS INTERMEDIATE SAID PADDLES, WHEREBY SAID BALL WILL BE CAUSED TO ALTERNATELY STRIKE SAID PADDLES WHEN SAID TORSO IS RAPIDLY TURNED FROM ONE SIDE TO ANOTHER. 